Ruijin's hands trembled so much that he could barely support the weight of the seal.
The icy touch spread from my palm to every part of my body; there was no joy of finding a treasure, only a piercing, bone-deep heaviness.
His eyes could no longer hold back the scalding tears. He clenched his teeth, refusing to let a sob escape, and finally bowed his head heavily, his voice hoarse yet each word carrying immense weight:
"Yes! Elder Chief! Ruijin... even if he dies ten thousand times, he will lead the Qilin Clan... to survive!"
"Um."
A fleeting hint of relief flashed in the Fire Qilin's eyes, which quickly turned into a deeper solemnity.
"Do not be too discouraged. After our extinction, if we face the danger of our race being wiped out..."
The voice was lowered even further, carrying a barely perceptible hint of pleading and uncertainty.
"... You may travel to Yingzhou, the Yingzhou Island in the Eastern Sea, to seek an audience with Fellow Qing Huan."
Out of Four Unlike for the lingering ties with the Qilin (a mythical creature), perhaps... Qing Huan can lend a helping hand.
However, this is a last resort that should only be used when all hope is lost. Remember this!
The Fire Qilin felt a bitter taste in its mouth. With the Qilin Clan's top combat power completely wiped out, would they become easy prey for the powerful beings of the Primordial Wilderness?
We can only hope that Qing Huan will spare no effort to help us during the extermination of the Qilin Four Unlike the Qilin.
"The old clan chief's teachings, Ruijin... will be forever etched in my memory!"
Ruijin's voice was choked with suppressed sobs.
The four elders, representing wood, metal, water, and earth, silently stepped forward, each with a radiant light flowing in their palms, revealing Innate Spiritual Treasure of various shapes, which they gently pushed in front of Ruijin.
"Our crippled bodies have no need for these things anymore." The Earth Qilin's voice was filled with endless vicissitudes and loneliness.
"Keep it, for the future... to bestow upon promising descendants of the clan. Consider it... our last bit of hope."
"Alright."
The Fire Qilin forcibly suppressed its surging emotions, and raised its voice, carrying an almost tragic passion.
"This journey to the West is not a final farewell. For my Qilin Clan... it marks the beginning of rebirth! Let us not indulge in such sentimental sentiments!"
His gaze was sharp as lightning, sweeping across the entire room.
"Hurry up and pay your respects to the new clan leader!"
"We pay our respects to the clan chief!"
Below, whether they stayed or were about to head west, none of the Qilin Clan hesitated. Their voices surged like a torrent, carrying their absolute trust in the elders' decisions and their utmost support for the new clan leader, echoing Ancestral Land.
The matter is settled!
The Fire Qilin had no more regrets. Its body blazed with crimson flames, and its form transformed into a crimson rainbow that tore through the sky. It was the first to rush out of the Qilin Ancestral Land and head straight for the western land, which was full of Destruction and redemption.
The four elders, representing metal, water, wood, and earth, gave Ruijin a deep look before transforming into dazzling streams of light and following closely behind.
Before leaving, the Third Elder deliberately paused and walked up to Ruijin.
That usually stern and cold face surprisingly showed a gentle smile, and his large, fan-like hand patted Ruijin's shoulder again, the force neither too light nor too heavy.
"Little one, remember this: think twice before you act in the future."
The Primordial Wilderness... is no longer the time for my Qilin to roam freely. Do not let the desire for conquest arise again. To live on and ensure the continuation of our bloodline... is the greatest prosperity.
Ruijin straightened his back, met the Third Elder's gaze, and solemnly promised again:
"Rest assured, Elder, Ruijin... will never forget!"
The Third Elder nodded, his smile fading, his last trace of concern turning into resolute determination. His figure transformed into a golden light, merging into the departing torrent of light.
The Ancestral Land instantly became empty and desolate.
Ruijin gripped the Qilin Seal tightly, which seemed to weigh as much as a thousand mountains and rivers, until his knuckles turned white.
Standing at the highest point of the Ancestral Land, I watched as those figures, carrying the future and sacrifices of the people, gradually disappeared into the horizon.
The excruciating pain felt as if countless invisible blades were scraping at his soul, far more brutal than any supernatural attack.
The Qilin Clan mobilized, with millions of them marching westward in a mighty procession.
Such an earth-shattering spectacle could not possibly escape the notice of any top-tier being in the Primordial Wilderness world who possessed even the slightest sensitivity, nor could it be concealed from their divine abilities to deduce the secrets of heaven.
In an instant, countless Spiritual Sense intertwined and crisscrossed in the void, and all the powerful beings secretly pondered: The Qilin Clan once made a solemn oath to the Heavenly Dao, promising not to emerge except in the face of immeasurable Tribulation, so why does it dare to return to the Primordial Wilderness so openly now?
At the summit of Kunlun, the Jade Void Palace was shrouded in a misty aura. Yuanshi Tianzun sat on the cloud platform, his brows slightly furrowed, a strange tremor rising in his heart, as if something vital to his life had been lost.
"Eldest Brother."
Yuanshi raised his eyes to look at Taiqing, who was sitting in the head seat, his voice carrying a hint of confusion and bewilderment.
"Is the Qilin Clan's westward migration in such a massive manner perhaps an attempt to submit to the barren lands of the west?"
Taiqing Laozi's eyes were slightly closed, and the Daoist energy flowed endlessly from his fingertips, as if he were deducing something.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, a look of seriousness flashing across them:
"I too cannot deduce the Karma and effect of this, but they once made a solemn oath to the Heavenly Dao... Now the Primordial Wilderness Calamity Qi is spreading and intensifying, could this be a sign of an immeasurable Tribulation descending?"
Upon hearing this, the Sect Master Tongtian, standing to the side, raised his sword-like eyebrows slightly and said loudly:
"Even if countless Tribulation pass, we, the Pangu's Primordial Spirit of Pangu, inherit the supreme Merit of Heaven-Opening. What is there to fear?" His words were full of confidence, unstoppable.
At the same time, the Demon Emperor Di Jun in the Solar Star Palace, the immortal chief East Prince of the Purple Mansion Continent, the Ancestral Witch of the Witch Clan in the Pangu Hall... all the powerful figures and giants of the Primordial Wilderness were shocked by the Qilin Clan's desperate and astonishing move.
They all used their supernatural abilities to calculate and speculate, but it was all like looking at flowers through fog or the moon's reflection in water; they could hardly see the true face.
In the Chuyuan Palace, Qing Huan also sensed something during his meditation. His Spiritual Sense swept across the Primordial Earth, and even though he had anticipated it, he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback:
"They've mobilized their entire clan... My original intention was to have the Earth Qilin transform and replenish the earth's veins, but this Fire Qilin... has taken this plan to such an extent, applying it in other ways!"
He sighed helplessly.
"Very well, since there is Karma that has led to this, I shall go and see what happens."
After speaking, his figure vanished from the palace like smoke and clouds, disappearing without a trace in an instant.
The Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Tribe, two remnants of the "Three Innate Clans" who were once considered alongside the Qilin, were also secretly watching all of this closely.
His ambition to conquer the Primordial Wilderness had long been worn away by endless karma.
At this moment, both clans could only watch coldly, trying to discern the true intentions of the Qilin Clan's actions.
In the barren lands of the West, Mount Sumeru stands majestically. The Daoist Zhunti gazes at the overwhelming torrent of Qilin on the horizon, imbued with the immense power of the Five Elements, his expression one of astonishment and uncertainty:
"Senior brother! This... is the Qilin Clan planning to attack our Dao Field? Millions of them, their numbers are terrifying!"
The Daoist Jieyin's face was ashen and pale, but his eyes were deep and calm as an abyss. He slowly shook his head and said:
"Junior brother, you are overthinking it. They have made Heavenly Dao Oath; how could they lightly start a war and cut off their own path to survival?"
The spiritual veins of the West have long since dried up. Even if a million Qilin were to traverse this land, they would find it difficult to discover a single treasure. Let's wait and see.